Machine for building up designs on cylindrical printing-surfaces.



L. J. R. HOLST.

MAGHINEIOR BUILDING UP DESIGNS 0N CYLINDRIGAL PRINTING SURFAGBS.

APPLICATION FILED PBBJE, 1913.- 1,107,520. Patented Aug. 18, 1914 4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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L. J. R. HULST.

MACHINE Porz BUILDING UP DESIGNS oN GYLINDRICAL PRINTING sURPAoEs.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

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, Patented Aug. 18, 1914 L. J. R. HULST. DESIGNS 0NA GYLINDRIGAL PRINTI APPLICATION FILED P11325, 1913.

MACHINE PoR BUILDING UP ATTORNEY UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

LODEW YK JAN RUTGER HOL'ST, OF LANSDOWNE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR TO WILLIAMS, BROWN AND EARLE, ING., OE

CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR BUILDING PHILADELPHIA, rENNsYLvANIA, A

Speciication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

Application inea February 2.5, 1913. serial No. 750,481.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoDEwYK JAN RUTGER HoLsT, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Lansdowne, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful lImprovements in Machines for Building Up Designs on Cylindrical Printing-Surfaces, of which the following isa specification.

The principal object of my present invention is to provide means forthe photographic production of printing rollers containing a repeated design, such for instance, as used in printing textile materials, wallpapers and other printed goodssuitable for production by means of such rollers. Y

My United States issued February 4th, 1913, describes and claims means with which any design contained on a flat surface can be photomechanically reproduced on the surface of a sensitized cylindrical roller. It will thus be evident that when this flat design consists of the repetition of a unit design, rfor instance, a so-called step and repeat plate, the purpose of my present invention may be accomplished' by means of the devices described in my said patent. This, however, pre-supposes the possession of this so-called step and repeat plate, for the production of which separate machinery is required.

In the present` invention means are disclosed whereby mechanism, in general principle similar tothat in my before mentioned United States Patent No. 1,051,997, may be modified and completed, so that the need of producing a flat plate containing all the units of the design destined to be placed on the roller is obviated, and whereby the entire printing surface of the sensitized roller may be covered with the repetition of an original design, by directly projecting said design from a flat plate and successively impressing the same on adjoining sections of the cylindrical surface.

For the better understanding of my present invention, reference is made to the anneXed drawings in connect-ion with the following description, in which drawings- Figure 1, is a view in side-elevation of a embodying the features of my present invention. Fig. 2, is a' plan view of said Patent No. 1,051,997,

v8,' is an end elevation of the machine from the side ofthe roller; andFig. 9, is an end machine. Fig.'3, represents a plate contain- Fig. f1, represents a step and repeat negative plate. Fig. 5, shows a diagram of a roller and the step and repeat which is to be reproduced on the roller.- Fig. 6, shows a diagram of a roller and a single unit image to be repeatedly reproduced thereon. Fig. 7, is a perspective view of the transverse slide for the roller, in this instance for an objectsupportbeing placed thereon and held by the same and illustrating thereby a modified elevation of the machine from the side of the object-plate.

VIn these drawings corresponding parts have been indicated by the same letters and numerals.

The machinery now to be described, consists mainly in the combination of four distinct groups of mechanism, as follows :-1st. Mechanism for thev restilinear displacement ofthe unit design. 2d. Mechanism for the simultaneous proportional rot-ation of `the cylindrical surface. 3d. Automatic focusing mechanism for the adjustment of the re- 'quired enlargement, reduction or copying of the unit design, operating in conjunction with mechanism to determine the actual size of the 'unit-impression to be produced on the roller. Lith. Mechanism for the automatic regulation of the stepping adjustment of the unit-plate and 'of the repeating adjustment of the reproduced image. Each of these separate groups of devices form either a part or the entire subject-matter of United States Patents already granted to me, the .novelty of the present invention being the particular combination of these devices, or their mechanical equivalents, in such a manner that an original flat unit design may be stepped and repeated directly on a cylindrical surface, suitably sensitized to receive impressions of such unit design through a photographic lens.

The vertical displacement of the unit designv is obtained by means of the standard 1, securely bolted to a carriage Q, constructed so as to be readily adjustable over the bed` plate 3. The standard 1, is provided with verspindle y27 of the tical guideways 4 and 4a,fon both sides, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The guideways 4, on the front of the standard guide the platecarryingv frame 5, which projects transversely from its foot 6, (see Fig. 2), and is placed accurately at right angles to the face of the standard, to insure the `correct rectangular position of'the unit-image plate?, with relation to the optical-axis of the lens 8. Through a slot 10, in the face of the standard 1, a rearwardy extension 9, of the foot 6,` of the plate-carrying ame projects inside of the standard 1, and this extension forms a nut for the screw-shaft' 11, the upper end of which is rotatably secured in a rearward extension of the slide 12, which is mounted on the guideway 4a, of the rearface of the standard 1, between which guideways a slot 10a, similar to the slot 10, is provided. pivot 13, extends vtransversely from the face of the slide 12, and supports the upper end of the connector 14, the forked lower end whereof engages a pin traversing the slide-block 15, adapted to travel in the slot of the slide-bar 16, which is pivoted on the pin 18, and forms with the crank 17, and the horizontally adjustable vertical guide 19, for the pin of the slide-block 15, in all respects the equivalent for the adjustable plate-moving mechanism, fully described and claimed in my United States Patent No. 1,051,997, of February 4th, 1913. The mechanism so far described, allows thus to impart to a unit-image plate 7, secured in the plate-carrying frame 5 the total amount of vertical displacement required to reproduce it around the circumference ofthe cylinder to be placed in the machine, just as if instead of a plate containing only a single image, step and repeat plate containing vthe full required number of images, such as shown in Fig. 4, were secured in the plate-carrying frame 5.

Referring now to Fig. 5, it will be observed that when the design is tobe repeated six times around the cylinder, which number is chosen only by the way of 'example, a step and repeat plate, Fig. 4, from which to produce said cylinder should have six rows of unit-images, 'Whereas the number of images in each row depends on the length of the cylinder. Furthermore, the lens reproducing these images should be placed so as to enlarge each individual unitimage to the size corresponding with one-` sixth of the circumference of the roller. Zhen so adjusted, the successive images Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, will be impressed upon the successively adjoining sections, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, of the roller, said section being indicated on a corresponding division-plate 162, over which a pointer 63, attached to a roller 1, moves. As however, image No. 2, is in every respect the like Fig.l 3, a

same as image No. 1, .it will be seen that the arrangement diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 6, will produce the same results when the single image on the flat plate, Fig.y 3, be moved through its own height in the same period of time required to rotate the roller through the angle embraced by the reproduction of said image on its cylindrical surface. If on completion of this movement the exposure be interrupted, and while the roller and all the remaining mechanism remain at rest, the image be raised to the original position in which the exposure began, and again, the same relative movement be imparted to both the image and the roller, the second of eration will of necessity result in the impression of section No. 2, of the cylinder, with the same image, as already impressed on section No. 1. The repetition of, this cycle of operation will thus result in building up a band of images completely encircling the roller. lf finally on completion: of a band of images, either the object-plate or the roller be transversely displaced thrcugh the width ofthe image contained on either, successive bands will be produced side by side, in adjoining .relation to each other, and thereby cover the entire printing surface ofthe roller with a repetition of properlv joined unit-images.

The screw-shaft 11, Figs. 1 and 2, constitutes the connection between the slide r12, and plate-carrying slide 6. rlhis screwshaft can be rotated by means of the crankhandle 20a, of an automatic index and locking device 20, of the type as fully described and claimed in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,048,968, dated December '31st 1912. This index deviceallows thus of raising the slide 6, with the unit-image plate 7, by means of the screw-shaft 11, exactly4 through the height of the image contained on that plate, after said image has been lowered that much by the previously described means, in conjunction with the simultaneous rotation of the roller through the corresponding angle embraced by the projected image. As furthermore, the index mechanism 20, can be operated while the entire mechanism for rotating the roller remains at rest, it will be seen that after this readjustment ofthe unit-image has taken place, it has assumed the same relative position as image No. 2, of the step and repeat plate, illustrated in Fig. 5, with relation to the roller, and that on starting the machine section No. 2, of the roller, will receive 4its impression exactly as section No. 1, did in' the first instance.

Fig. 1, shows how by mea-ns of thewormsector 21, the worm 22, the shaft 23, the worm 24, and worm-wheel 25, the rotary movement of the crank 17, is communicated to the transverse shaft 26. This shaft is supported by suitable bearings resting on standard is of this circumference as l bar 40.y The arms the base plate 3, and is thus stationary with relation to the roller-shaft 27, and parallel therewith. As for the purpose of regulating the size of the reproduced image, -the before described unit-plate is moved'back and forth, with all its operating gear, on the carriage 2, the worm 24, has been made long enough to remain in operative contact with the worm-wheel 25, and acts like a tooth-rack on the latter, when the carriage is shifted for focusing purposes. Figs. 1 and 2, show this carriage in its position of nearest approach to the roller. Its proper distance from the roller is regulated by means of the hand-wheel ,28, which is rotaltably mounted in the standard 35, which firmly bolted to the bed-plate 3. The handwheel 28, when rotated,lwill thus force the partly screw-threaded shaft 29, to rock the lever 30, and thereby bring into operation the lever system, 30, 31 and 32, the rectanglelevers 33, and the lens-slide 34. This latter-slide is laterally movable over the bed 36, which is bolted to the carriage 2. This lens and plate adjusting mechanism is an adaptation of the kinematically corre sponding device, fully described and claimed in my United States Patent No. 1,029,297 of June 11th 1912, differing only from the construction illust-rated therein, that on ac count of the much greater weight ofthe plate carriage in the machine forming the subject of this invention, the lens movement is derived from the-plate movement instead of vice versa, but in this case like in the devices shown in my said patent, the oscilating fulcrum-slide 31, of the rectangle lever 33,: is held stationary with relation to the image, by being pivoted in the standard 38, which is bolted to the bed-plate 3, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The required degree of magnification or reduction, or the equal sized reproduction of the unit-plate, is ascertained by means of the pantograph 3.9, in a manner similar to that described in my already before mentioned United States Patent No. 1,051,997, of February 4th 1913. kAs, however, in the present instance, itis required to ascertain the actual length of a part of the circumference, instead ofithe entire circumference, special provision is made to meet this. requirement. The number of images to be placed around the roller varies in practice between two and ten, and is of necessity always a whole number. It is thus necessary to measure accurately the length of 1/2; i/a; i/a; i/; i/e;4 i/7; i/e; i/e; 0r i/io, the case may be, and this result is obtained by means of the 41 and 42, of the pantograph system are slotted and carry in their slots movable pivots 41 and 42a. These pivots can be clamped at points dividing these arms, in the before mentioned fractions,

and assuming for the sake of example, that they be adjusted at points marked 6, on both arms, the distance between the free end of the arm 39, and the bar 40, will also be 1/6, of the entire distance between the free ends of the arms 39 and 42, if the latter had been continued to the same length as the arm 39, and consequently 1/6 of the circumference of the roller, one-half of which circumference is indicated by the distance between the points 55 and 5G. The pivot 56' in t-he free end of the arm 39, and the pivot 57 of the bar 40, carry suitable pieces of glass, with horizontal scratches coinciding in position with the centers of said pivots, and indicate thus the required length of the projected image of the unit-plate. The focusing mechanism already described is then adjusted accordingly, for which purpose the -object-image on the plate 7, is lowered as far below the axis of the lens as is required to make its reproduction appear on the gruond of the plates, as adjusted. This position of the object-image is readily obtained by moving the crank 17,7downward A until said reproduced image appears inthe right place.

The brackets 58 and 44, are laterally ad- 'ustable over the transversely adjustable slide 45 by means of the crank handles 70 and 71, and the screw-spindles 7 2 and 73, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 8 and 9. This permits of adjusting'rollers of different diameters so that always the vertical plane passing through both focusing glasses will be tan gent to the roller surface, Ywhereby this surface is brought in the correct focus, as previously established. The transverse slide 45, is movable over a support 46, which itself is firmly bolted on top of the frames 47 and 48, secured to the bed-plate 3.

The partially 4screw-threaded shaft 50, Aengages a nut 59 attached to the transverse slide 45. This shaft is rotatable under the control of an automatically locking indexdcvice`20b, in all respects similar to the one already described. The operation of this shaft will thus cause the roller to be moved transversely to the axis of the lens, as plainly illustrated 4vin Fig. 2, and thereby provides means to place a series of image bands in adjoining relationship to each other over the full printing width ofthe roller. For the purpose of this adjustment, the roller spindle 27, projects for a suitable distance beyond the bracket 58, and is provided with a key-way 61, any part of which will engage the key 60 in the spiral-gear 51. The latter receives its rotation through the action Nof the train of gears 52, 5 4 and 53, the latter of which is permanently keyed to the shaft 26, of the worm-wheel 25. I power of any suitable nature is appliedto the shaft 23, the rotation whereof causes in the manner explained in my previously men- Motive tioned United States Patent No. 1,051,997 of February 4th 1913, the proper relative movement to the unit-plate 7, and to theroller.

The transverse movement of the slide 15, r may further be utilized for the productionfof an image-plate containing side by side, two or more images of the original design. To this end the design is placed in a suitable support 64 on the transverse slide 45, as illustrated in Fig. 7, and exposures made of it on a sensitive plate placed for that purpose in the position of the image-plate 7. The required horizontal displacement of the design between successive exposures is obtained by means of the index-device 2Gb, controlling the screw-shaftI 50. lt will be evident that when desired, the vertical adjustment of the plate-slide 6, by means of the screw-shaft 11, and the index-device 20, may equally be utilized for the purpose of obtaining more than one horizontal row of exposures. This method of operation provides thus means for the production of a multiple unit-image plate, which when used to impress images on the roller, reduces the number of return-movements of the imagelate in direct proportion as the number o' the horizontal rows of unit-images, and reduces the number of the required transverse adjustments of the roller in direct proportion of the number of unit-images in each row. This manner o f ilitilizing` the machine is especially desirable when the unit design is small, and would therefore require a large number of repeated exposures on the roller.

Having now completed the description of the mechanism of my present invention, T will describe its operation for which purpose it will be assumed, that an image-plate such as shown in Fig. 3, must be transferred to. a roller of 6 inches diameter, and that each image must occur 12 times around the circumference and 4- times along the length of the roller. T begin by placing the imageplate in the holder 5, when it will assume the position as indicated by 7, the image surface of the plateA being placed toward the lens 8. The lower edge of suitable register-mark on said design, is 'placed exactly in line with the lower edge of the exposure slit in front of the plate, by raising or lowering the plate itself, as required, in the holder 5. The index-device 20, is set to zero, and the roller' upon which the design is to be transferred is then placed in position. This vhaving been done, the worm-shaft 24, is rotated until thecylinder has made 1/12 of a revolution or S60/12: 30, which is ascertained by reading the initial and the iinal position of the `indexpointer 655, with relation to the graduated disk (S0. This movement has caused the design to descend, and should now place the latter so ,that its upper edge, or a suitable 65 upper register-mark has comel exactly in line Ying with the descent of the design, or aA Y Athe pantograph arms 41 and with the lower edge of the exposure slit. Most likely it is not in the correct position at the First trial, and in that case, the pivot pin 15, of the slide block in the lower end of the connector 14, is adjusted in the required direction, that is toward the fulcrum 18, of the slide-bar 16, if the plate has descended too far, or oppositely if not far enough, until said upper register-mark does properly coincide with the lower edge of the exposure slit. This having been accomplished, T next unlatch the locking-device 20, and turn the handle 20a, as far as required to again raise the design to its original position, that is with the lower registermark coinciding with the lower edge of the exposure slit, The division on the index 'ring will then indicate how many complete turns were required to do this and the position of the handle 20a, relative to the -indexplate will indicate if, and what additional fractional revolution is necessary to return the image to its `starting point. The indexdevice is then adjustedso as to limit the movement of the handle 20a, to this required amount of rotation and the entire indexdevice replaced in the zero position. This completes the necessaryv adjustments of the plate movement, all of which have been-accomplished as will be observed, without any reference as to the relative size of the design, and the image to be produced by it, but merely in accordance with the required number of images to be placed along the circumference of the roller. Consequently 1/12 of a. revolution of this roller, no matter what its diameter may be, will be coincidthe plate 7, through the height of the design placed thereon. It remains thus to now regulate the focusing mechanism so that the image, the lens will project in \a tangent plane to the roller will be exactly of a size to occupy the 1/12 part of the circumference of the said roller. To this end, T proceed, as follows :The bar 40, of the` pantograph-mechanism, is adjusted by means of the guides 4.1a and 42a, until it coincides with the points marked 12, on 42, and firmly clamped to these arms in that position. The arm 39, is then lifted upward until the forwardly extending arm 64, of the pantograph touches against the lower surface of the said roller. This causes the points 55 and 57, of the pantograph levers to come to a distance exactly equal to 1/12 of the circumference of the roller, and uhence the horizontalhairline marks on the ground glass screens carrled by these points will indicate the height of the required projected image. turning the shaft 24, thev plate 7, is lowered as much as is required, to show the lower register-mark on the upper ground glass,

andthe upper register-mark on the lower ground glass. They will not as yet coincide By again isov with the hairline marks on these ground glasses, but are made to do so by rotating the wheel 2S, of the focusing mechanism, until the image assumes the required height. Inasmuch as the mechanical focusing mechanism can readily be constructed so as to yield projected images ranging from 1/3 to 3 times the lateral size of the design, the actual size of the original is immaterial, so long as its size does not exceed these limits in relation to the ultimate projected image. The roller is now to be sensitized and replaced in the machine, which in the meanwhile has been returned to its starting4 position as shown in Fig. 1, when the position of the index-pointer b3, is carefully read oftl or placed back to the zero position. The exposure can now begin, and the worm-shaft 24, simultaneously placed in rotation. At the exact instant the pointer 63, shows 300, rotation, ,the exposure is halted and the machine is stopped; the necessarily slow rotation permitting of the instant stopping of the entire mechanism, and while everything is at rest, the index-device 20, is operated, until it locks. This has lifted the plate 7, back to its first starting position and the machine is now ready to begin the second exposure and the second 30o, rotation. The same operations are repeated until the 360, of rotation have been completed. By means of the self-locking index-device 20", attached to the screw-shaft 50, the roller is now horizontally shifted to the position for the next ring of exposures. The actual amount of displacement required, having been previously established in an analogous manner, by means of the projected image on the ground glass and the vertical hairlines thereon, which are compared with the horizontal repeat-marks provided for that purpose on the object-plate '7. The entire operation is then repeated as described until the desired number of exposures have been obtained.

Having now fully described the object of my present invention and means, whereby the same may be accomplished, it should be well understood that I do not limit myself to the various details of design as described and illustrated, but may vary the same within the scope of the claims, and that What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is `l. In a machine for building up designs on a cylindrical surface, the combination of an image-plate, a sensitized roller, means for projecting the image contained on lsaid plate upon said sensitized roller, means to cause rotary movement of said roller in unison with rectilinear movement of said image-plate and means for the independent return movement of said image-plate.

2. In a machine for building up designs on a cylindrical surface, the combination of an image-plate, a sensitized roller, means for ascertaining the length-of even fractions of the circumference of said roller and means -for projecting upon said roller the image contained on said image-plate either in reduced, equal or enlarged size, to correspond with the lengths of said even fractions.

3. In a. machine for building up designs on a cylindrical surface, the combination of an image-plate, a sensitized roller, automatic focusing means to project the image contained on said plate upon said sensitized roller, means to cause rotary movement of said roller in unison with rectilinear movement of said image-plate and means for the independent return movement of said imageplate.

4l. In a machine for building up designs on a cylindrical surface, the combination of an image-plate, a sensitized roller, means for ascertaining the length of even fractions of the vcircumference of said roller and auto'- matic focusingl meansV for projecting the image contained on said image-plate upon the even fractions of the circumference of said roller. n y

5. In a hine for building up designs on a cylindrical surface, the combination of an image-plate, a sensitized roller, means for projecting the image contained on said plate upon said sensitized roller, means to cause rotary movement of said roller in unison with rectilinear movement of said image-plate and means for the independent transverse movement of said roller.

6. In a machine for building up designs on a cylindrical surface, the combination of an image-plate, a sensitized roller, means for projecting the image contained on said plate upon said sensitizedy roller, means to cause rotary movement of said roller in unison with rectilinear movement of said image-plate, means for the independent return movement of said image-plate and means for the independent transverse movement of said roller.

7 In a. machine for building up designs on a cylindrical surface, the combination of an image-plate, a sensitized roller, means to ascertain the lengths of even fractions o -f the circumference of said roller, automatically focusing means to project the image contained on said image-plate upon said even fractions of the circumference of said roller, means to cause rotary movement of said roller in unison with rectilinear movement of said image-plate and means for the independent return movement of said image-plate and for the independent transverse movement of said roller.

8. In a machine for building up d esigns on a cylindrical roller, the combination of a vertically movable support for an imageplate, a transversely movable support for a `roller, said latter support also adapted to my signature in the presence of the two hold a design supporting member and Inesubscribing Witnesses hereto. chanically operated focusing means adapt-ed @zo produce equal sized, reduced or enlarged LODEWYK JAN RUTGER HOLST I5 images of said design in the plane of said Vitnesses:

image-plate. THOMAS M. SMITH,

Jin Witness whereof, )I have hereunto set HELEN F. MILLER. 

